Any platform that restricts how and what I can run in it has inherently less value to me. This is why I mostrly avoided consoles all my life.
The only console I bought was the original Wii. The games were extremely expensive, and they disabled all the services that made the console useful after a few years (weather channel, news channel, store).
Fortunately I added a few SNES, PCEngine, Genesis/Megadrive and Gamecube emulators otherwise I would now have a very pretty white doorstop.
My history with consoles is:
- Whatever by brother bought
- OG Xbox to play Halo
- Xbox 360 for Kinect games
- Switch - play w/ kids; Smash has been amazing for this
- Steam Deck - not a console, but I use it as one; got it to play games in bed
I play most games on PC because I’m just not as interested in exclusives anymore, except maybe Zelda games, and with BOTW and TOTK, I’m less interested in those (they lost the formula I like).
I’ll probably get the Switch 2 eventually, but I’ll wait until there’s a game I really want (say, ALttP remake or something), my kids break our OLED Switch, or there’s an OLED Switch 2 with better battery life.
I’m pretty sure you can mod any Wii now, bypassing all these restrictions and adding back replacements for the missing channels.
There was the Homebrew Channel back then, but it seemed to have gone offline. I assumed people just lost interest and moved on.
Based on what you said I did a quick search and found that there’s still an active community around the console, so thank you!
I’m updating my Homebrew Browser to see what’s new.
This whole article is dumb because this is the same as it ever was with Switch 1. Resold switches could be banned from online play, how is this unique to the Switch 2? If you’re going to buy used, go for a reputable source.
I don’t personally like Nintendo’s actions, but I’m not sure why this article is trying to imply Nintendo miscalculated and don’t know what they’re doing - as if bricking consoles will somehow lose them money.
From Nintendo’s perspective, turning the used market into a minefield of bricked consoles can only be a good thing, because it encourages people to buy new, and buying new is money in Nintendo’s pocket.
And the conclusion that people won’t buy the console for their kids because of this? “Sorry kids, but Nintendo are bad so we cant play your favourite Mario - you’re getting a steam deck instead!” Like heck! A small minority maybe, but people will generally buy their kids what the kids ask for.
Nintendo know what they are doing.
While true, I think it’s important to note that many buy the Switch for other reasons. My kids wanted a Switch, but I didn’t get it until there were enough games my wife and I really wanted to play. My wife was bummed about Kinect dying and was Ted a replacement for her exercise games, and I had been missing Zelda games, so I got the Switch, some Just Dance games, Ring Fit Adventure, the two Zelda remakes, and a couple games for the kids. The kids have kind of taken it over, but it still fulfills our purposes in getting it.
My point is that the Switch has a lot more appeal than just shutting kids up for a bit. It’s a good console on its own, and the only console I’m willing to buy. The PS5 and Xbox Series has nothing I’m interested outside of a few exclusives, so my wife and I just play on our PCs and my Steam Deck.
Y’all know that Sony and Microsoft do this too, right? I just feel like there’s a bit of a double standard here.
it can suspend all kinds of services on your console, up to and including bricking it completely.
No, just online services.
Xbox and PlayStation have the same terms & conditions. Why is Nintendo being singled out?
Xbox:
You will not attempt to defeat or circumvent any Xbox Console, Kinect Sensor or Authorised Accessory technical limitation, security or anti-piracy system. If You do, Your Xbox Console, Kinect Sensor or Authorised Accessory may stop working permanently at that time or after a later Xbox Software update.
PlayStation:
we reserve the right to take any action we believe necessary to remedy the violation or to protect SIE’s interests, including: (a) the automatic removal or blockage of content associated with those Accounts; (b) implementation of upgrades or devices intended to discontinue unauthorized use; © the permanent or temporary disablement of access to any PSN Content, PlayStation Devices, products, services or features; (d) notifying law enforcement or the appropriate authority; and (e) initiating legal action.
edit: added some more words from the respective ToS to make it more legible
They can brick it in the US, not in UK or EU.
That’s a problem of the US law or lack of consumer protections compared to UK/EU, not because it’s Nintendo. All the other companies have this too.
The second part simply isn’t true. Look at the ToS wording (US version). Nintendo added a clause specific to the device’s functioning, not only to online services.
This has been a thing since 2005 or so, why are we still surprised again?
“This shitty company has been shitty for 20 years, why do we care” is one of the most fanboi, dickriding responses possible. Why are you riding for Nintendo so hard given their shitty anti-consumer practices?
Why is it “dickriding” to point out this has been a standard practice for all competitors for over 20 years?
I don’t understand why you immediately go to the extreme and think this is me defending them? If anything, I’m saying it’s all bad.
Agreed. Permanent hardware bans have been a thing since the PS3/360 era.
I’m not saying it’s a good thing that they can unilaterally disable hardware you purchased (although I certainly understand the reasoning wrt cheaters and pirates) but the author here is acting like the idea is some completely new scheme from the diabolical industry villains du jour.
It’s disingenuous at best.
Seems Nintendo is actually doing it
“2124-4508”
I’m going to spoiler tag all the Nintendo legal-ese because it’s A LOT.
It boils down to this console is banned from logging in online. So a couple of questions:
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Do you HAVE to be online to play Switch 2 games?
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If the ban is correct for user violations, why ban the hardware? Why not ban the account?
spoiler
You’re unable to connect to an online service and you receive the error code 2124-4007 or 2124-4508.
You receive the error message “The use of online services on this console is currently restricted by Nintendo.”
What to do:
This error code indicates that the Nintendo Switch console you are using has been permanently banned from connecting to the internet due to a breach of the user agreements.
A breach of user agreements may include, but is not limited to, activities such as:
Fraudulent or unauthorized transactions
Violation of the Code of Conduct
https://accounts.nintendo.com/term/eula/AU
5 Nintendo Code of Conduct
When using the Nintendo Account Service, you must comply with the Nintendo Code of Conduct and ensure that your Nintendo Account is not used in breach of the Nintendo Code of Conduct. The Nintendo Code of Conduct prohibits all illegal, harmful or otherwise inappropriate conduct, including, but not limited to, the following:
Illegal, harassing, hateful, defamatory, embarrassing, offensive, obscene, sexually explicit or otherwise objectionable actions performed with the Nintendo Account;
Soliciting, accessing, storing or distributing prohibited materials;
Providing any incorrect or false data when registering or using the Nintendo Account;
Submitting false reports (either in a game or through an online service) regarding other users or content;
Making, sharing or playing unauthorised copies of games, applications, software, add-on content, music, images, videos and other content available via the Nintendo Account Service; making new versions of Digital Products or other content available via the Nintendo Account Service (“derivatives”);
Using cheats, automation software (bots), hacks, mods or any other unauthorised device or software designed to modify the Nintendo Account Service or any part of it or using any unauthorised User Device or any unauthorised modification of a User Device; attempting to derive source code of the Nintendo Account Service;
Gaining unauthorised access to any of Nintendo’s computers, hardware, equipment, servers or networks used to support the Nintendo Account Service; hosting, intercepting, emulating, reverse engineering any part of the Nintendo Account Service or redirecting the communication protocols used by Nintendo as part of the Nintendo Account Service, regardless of the method used to do so;
Engaging in any commercial or advertising activity, or arranging meetings using a Nintendo Account;
Selling, trading, assigning or otherwise transferring a Nintendo Account to another person or entity;
Posting, sending or otherwise making available via Nintendo Account Service any content that infringes the rights of others, including any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, privacy rights, portrait rights or other intellectual property or proprietary rights;
Posting, sending or otherwise making available via Nintendo Account Service any content that contains personal information (including photos, images and videos) of any third party without their permission;
Selling, trading, assigning, licensing, or otherwise conveying virtual property for real money or for funds credited to a Nintendo Account, where “virtual property” refers to any features of games or other content that can be traded with other users for free or for in-game virtual currency;
Fraudulent activities performed in relation to the Nintendo Account Service (in particular in relation to transactions in Nintendo Shopping Services).
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Yes, in order to download your “Game Keycard” games, you must get the game data from nintendo online services. This is why banning online services is considered effectively bricking the console, at least for all 3rd party games on keycards.
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If an account is banned, another one can be made for free and the user can keep utilizing their online services… Nintendo obviously looks at that like a burden, and wants to financially punish that user, making them have to buy another switch. This in turn benefits them.
For point 1, this sounds like a class action waiting to happen.
You buy a Nintendo console, Nintendo says you broke the rules and bans that console, now non-Nintendo games won’t work on it because it’s banned from reaching online services.
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